19 - United Kingdom of Great Britain (abridged)

The Act of Union 1707

unified England and Scotland into the United Kingdom of Great Britain; the Scots sought the benefits of trade within the English empire

United Kingdom of Great Britain

created by the union of England, Wales, and Scotland in 1707, and later Ireland (1801-1921) and Northern Ireland only (1921-present)

War of Spanish Succession

1701-1713 European conflict triggered by the death of the childless king of Spain; Britain, the Netherlands, and the Holy Roman Empire fought Louis XIV to prevent the unification of France and Spain under the Bourbon dynasty

asiento

transatlantic slave trade between Africa and the Spanish colonies; Britain held a monopoly on this profitable human trafficking from 1713-1750

Hanoverian dynasty

(r. 1714-1901) royal family of Great Britain; originally from the German duchy of Hanover; George I, George II, George III, William IV, and Victoria

George I of Great Britain

(r. 1714-1724) German duke of Hanover who, as the closest living Protestant relative, inherited the British monarchy upon the death of the childless Stuart queen Anne

prime minister

head of government who directs both the executive and the legislature; presides over the Cabinet; accountable to the monarch, Parliament, members of his or her political party, and the British electorate

Cabinet

British prime minister and other senior government ministers who head the various government departments

British East India Company

joint-stock company that obtained government monopoly over trade in India; acted as virtually independent government in regions it claimed

battle of Plassey

1757 British East India Company victory over the French; established British supremacy in India

Seven Years' War

fought in continental Europe and overseas colonies 1756-1763; resulted in Prussian seizure of Polish land from Austria and English seizures of French colonies in India and North America; aka French and Indian War in America and Carnatic Wars in India

Treaty of Paris 1763

ended the Seven Years' War; gave New France to England in exchange for return of French sugar islands in Caribbean

James Cook

British explorer of the South Pacific; claimed the east coast of Australia and found many South Pacific islands, including Hawaii and Tahiti

Adam Smith

established laissez-faire liberal economics (Wealth of Nations, 1776); argued that government should avoid regulation of economy in favor of the operation of market forces